Town Fair

Our Town puts on a pretty good Fair.  We are lucky enough to live a block away from all the great festivities, rides, live bands and not one but 2 nights of a full on fireworks show.  Community wide garage sales and so on, the kids and I look forward to this each year. 

This year I decided to play things a little differently.  TEACH the value of a dollar and budgeting and how it feels to spend your 'own' money vs. someone elses.  Each of the children were allowed to pull $20 from their individual Savings Accounts.  As we visited the Garage Sales and they saw useful & junk type items, they were reminded, they had $20, they use it at Garage Sales OR at the Fair for Rides how they spend their money is up to them.  3 of the 4 opted to save for the Fair, 1 opted to purchase a fantastic bicycle that looks like a dirt bike.  Something he has wanted for a long time, a purchase I very much approved of for $15, he got a great deal.  Later on he also purchased a fish night lamp that looked like an aquarium for his bedroom, leaving him with $2 for the Fair.  Long story short... Did he get a little upset watching his brothers and sister ride a camel, and ride rides, having fun etc, at one point, yes.  Then he reminded himself, in the garage he has an awesome 'ride' he can ride whenever he wants to that doesn't end.  He feels he got the better value, the other kids think they got a good value, in the end they all did well with their money :)

 

To me the Town Fair also marks the 'end' of Summer.  A week and a half after the Fair the kids head back to School.  Sad Me :( I like it when the kids are home.  I also feel that time goes by even faster when they are in school.  Time is going by way to fast, I want to hit the pause button.  Thank goodness for pictures, the 'pause button' on the best of times.